


Hand To Hand Training

by Wolfmage553



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Combat Training, Implied/Referenced Sex, M/M, Secret Dare, Truth or Dare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2020-12-28 21:48:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21143747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfmage553/pseuds/Wolfmage553
Summary: In a truth or dare game Scanlan dares Tiberius to learn from Grog the ways of Hand to Hand combat... Okay he really didn't but that's what Grog and Tiberius are telling the rest of Vox Machina.





	1. Official Story

Tiberius had a lot better things to do then this game. He could go searching with Percy and Vex for lost tombs, watch the others train and learn how to use their combat skills to gain an advantage against any foe, or read every book in the study a second or third time over and check to see if he missed the location of one of the artifacts he was looking for. Anything was better in the dragonborn's mind then playing a game where you force your friends to humiliate themselves in front of everyone else. He hated the game growing up and that mindset was not going to change with Scanlan running the game. 

Scanlan turned to Tiberius and said "Tibsy, truth or dare?"

Tiberius wanted to get up off the ground he was currently sitting on and walk away. The only reason he didn't was because he didn't want to disappoint Keyleth since she said that it would be a great idea as a 'team building game' and had convinced Tiberius to at least stay till she would leave the game. The most he saw in the game that could be considered 'team building' was Vax and Grog trying to keep a ball of light in the air for five minutes. The rest he saw was the rest of the group being forced to reveal secrets that didn't need to be revealed or do things they wouldn't normally do. If he wanted to see Vax try to lift Grog's axe or know the exact male to female ratio of how many people Scanlan had slept with Scanlan could've easily slipped alcohol into the party's drinks and got the same result. Tiberius personally thanked Bahamut that this was his first time being asked this question all game.

Tiberius said "Dare, and no perverted dares either or I'm leaving."

Scanlan said "What about that moment with Vex?"

Tiberius knew that was going to be brought up. Scanlan had taken to not letting Tiberius live down anything humiliating. Tiberius said "Firstly, that was one time. Secondly, I still have no idea why that happened." The rest of the party knew what Tiberius and Scanlan were talking about and some of them cringed with second hand embarrassment for Tiberius.

Scanlan said "I understand. My dare is.." Scanlan's voice trailed off as he stood up and walked towards Tiberius. 

Tiberius wondered why Scanlan stopped talking when Scanlan whispered into Tiberius' ear-hole "have a secret romantic relationship with Grog." Tiberius was for the first time grateful for his red scales, otherwise the dare would've been lost right then and there with how much he felt his face heat up. Scanlan was already back at his seat when Tiberius got up and walked towards Grog.

Tiberius whispered into Grog's ear what exactly Scanlan had dared Tiberius and Grog to do. Grog kept his blush from showing and acted curious as he asked "Scanlan, why did you dare Tiberius to learn hand to hand combat from me?"

Tiberius knew instantly what Grog was planning. Provide an excuse for the two of them to be away from the rest of the group for long periods of time so the dare could be completed without anyone's knowledge.

Scanlan knew he had to play along as he said "Grog! You couldn't reveal what it was. That was the reason I whispered it to Tiberius."

Grog said "Sorry."

Keyleth said "That's actually a good idea. Tiberius always did say he wanted to help where he could so why not teach him how to fight with his hands. Besides, we don't know what we will be facing next. If we faced a enemy that was immune to magic then Tiberius wouldn't be able to help in the fight except for teleporting those who couldn't fight to safety."

Tiberius said "Keyleth is right. Hand to hand combat will certainly give me more options when it comes to dealing with foes."

Percy said "Aside from hitting them with your staff."

The party laughed at the mental image of Tiberius hitting a evil wizard with his staff. After the laughter died down Tiberius said "Guess it's settled. Tomorrow, I'll begin my hand to hand combat training with Grog."

Keyleth said "Grog, be safe with Tiberius. Last thing I want is Pike having to heal him on the first day of training."

Tiberius said "Keyleth, I get your concern for my safety but I'll be fine. I trust Grog will not push me beyond what I am currently able to do."

Scanlan yawned and said "Well this game was fun but I'm ready for bed. Anyone else?"

Tiberius said "I have a big day ahead tomorrow so I'm going to bed."

Grog said "Same here. Goodnight."

The rest of Vox Machina went to their own bedrooms to turn in for the night. Tiberius looked up at the ceiling of his room, a single thought ran through his mind as sleep claimed him

"Tomorrow is going to be the most awkward day of my life."


	2. Training Begins

The sun shined on Tiberius as he opened his eyes to hear a knocking on his door. He could say knocking but it was more like a pounding on his door. Tiberius feared that the door would soon be knocked off it's hinges if he didn't do something so he shouted "I'm up!" which caused the pounding to cease. Tiberius got dressed and opened the door fully prepared to give whoever woke him up this early a good talking to when he saw Grog standing in front of him.

  
Grog said "Sorry for waking you early but we need to talk in secret."

  
Tiberius said "Okay."

  
Grog walked into Tiberius' room. Tiberius closed the door behind him and casted a spell that would shield the conversation from being overheard by anyone outside. Grog sat on Tiberius' bed and said "We both know what Scanlan dared us to do."

  
Tiberius said "I don't know why Scanlan dared us to be in a romantic relationship. The only one I've shown romantic interest in is Allura."

  
Grog said "But we all saw that prospect crash and burn. Maybe Scanlan's trying to take your mind off that heartbreak?"

  
Tiberius said "Maybe. But why set you up with me?"

  
Grog said "We'll question him about that when this is all over."

  
Tiberius said "The question is: Do we go through with it or trick Scanlan into thinking we are going through with it when we really are not?"

  
Grog said "It's going to be bad either way."

  
Tiberius said "I know. Either we form a romantic relationship the both of us didn't take into consideration with all the awkwardness that entails or we betray Scanlan's trust and cause possibly unrecoverable damage to our friendship with him."

  
Silence filled the room as the both of them thought about the choice and all the pros and cons that came with it. Finally the silence was broken by them saying at the same time "We have to go through with this dare."

  
A short silence followed as the pair realized that they had said the same thing at the same time. Grog said "Okay I know why I said that but why did you say that?"

  
Tiberius said "I thought about it before even going to sleep and I realized that not going through with it would hurt you more then hurt me. Scanlan and you have this brothers in arms friendship that I doubt I could ever have with him and if we decided to betray Scanlan's trust by lying to him that would hurt that friendship. I already made a choice that led to everyone else getting caught in the crossfire and I made a vow to myself to never let another incident like that happen again. No matter what awkwardness I'll face doing this dare, I'd gladly take it over the alternative hurting you and Scanlan."

  
Grog said "Keyleth wasn't lying when she said you made long speeches to explain your choices."

  
Tiberius said "She really wasn't lying."

  
Grog said "So I guess our dare begins after breakfast. That's usually when I practice and better to disguise what is really going on by fitting the dare in with practice. plus, Keyleth was right when she said that hand to hand combat might be a good skill to teach you."

  
Tiberius said "That's a great idea. See you at breakfast."

  
Grog said "See you then." and he opened the door instantly breaking the spell Tiberius had placed. Tiberius went downstairs to see breakfast already being served and went to his normal seat at the table. The party waited until everyone was seated before eating.

  
Breakfast was rather tasty and for a moment Tiberius forgot about the dare until Grog said "Well Tiberius, today your training begins. Let's head into the forest, I want to see what you already know about hand to hand combat."

  
Tiberius said "Okay." and walked beside Grog til they reached a suitable distance away from Grayskull Keep.

  
Grog said "First, let's test your skill then we'll do the dare, okay?"

  
Tiberius said "But how are we going to test it?"

  
Grog said "Simple, I'm going to try and pin you to a nearby tree and your task is to prevent me from doing so without using magic."

  
Tiberius said "Sounds easy, but I will not underestimate the task."

  
Grog said "Good. Let the test begin" And began to charge at Tiberius. What Tiberius lacked in physical power he made up for in agility as he quickly dodged Grog's incoming charge and almost caused Grog to run face first into a tree. Grog stopped just seconds before hitting the tree and turned around to charge at Tiberius again. Tiberius again prepared to dodge Grog again but Grog quickly turned and caught Tiberius off guard. Tiberius didn't even have enough time to plan before Grog pined him to the nearest tree.

  
Tiberius said "Guess I underestimated your ability to change your strategy."

  
Grog said "You managed to dodge me once and almost made me run into a tree. I underestimated your ability to think on your feet."

  
Tiberius said "I guess we both learned how the other thinks."

  
The two looked at each other and slowly their faces heated up as they realized that with the training done they would have to do something romantic.

  
Grog said "So... What do we do that could be considered romantic?"

  
Tiberius said "Kissing is out of the question for now and I doubt we can find a romantic restaurant nearby. Honestly I don't know what to do."

  
Suddenly a familiar voice startled the both of them by saying "Dancing seems to be romantic to me."

  
Grog and Tiberius turned towards the voice to see that Scanlan was holding his lute and leaning against a tree. Tiberius said "What are you doing here?"

  
Scanlan said "Decided to check on you and overheard that conversation. I'm surprised that dancing wasn't one of the things Tiberius brought up."

  
Tiberius said "I may have been to a few dances in my life but no lady or lord danced with me. They would always ask one of my siblings and acted like I wasn't there."

  
Grog said "I have never been to a dance in my life but I would hate for people to act like I wasn't there."

  
Scanlan said "Hey Tiberius, since Grog is teaching you hand to hand combat, why don't you teach him how to dance?"

  
Tiberius said "I do know how to dance but I am no expert on dancing."

  
Scanlan said "True but someone who knows how to dance teaching someone is better then someone who doesn't know how trying to teach."

  
Tiberius said "True. And dancing is considered romantic without doing something that makes us uncomfortable. Grog, are you okay with this?"

  
Grog said "Sure."

  
Tiberius casted a magical spell that created a soundproof bubble around the trio. Tiberius then turned to Grog, bowed, extended his hand and said "Sir Strongjaw, may I have this dance?"

  
Grog chuckled, took Tiberius' hand and said "Sure."

  
Tiberius turned to Scanlan and said "Dancing is not easy without music. Scanlan, if you would be so kind."

  
Scanlan knew just the song to introduce Grog to dancing. He then said "Tiberius, why don't you sing the lyrics? That might help Grog."

  
Tiberius said "Or it might distract him."

  
Scanlan said "You don't know til you start singing."

  
Tiberius said "Fair enough."

  
Scanlan strummed on his lute and began to play the first part of a well known musical song. Tiberius placed one of his hands on Grog's shoulder and the other hand to Grog's side. Tiberius then began to sing "_We've just been introduced, I do not know you well, but when the music started something drew me to your side, so many men and girls are in each other's arms, it made me think, we might be, similarly occupied_"

  
Tiberius slowly began to lead Grog into a swaying motion very akin to a waltz as he continued to sing "_Shall we dance, On a bright cloud of music shall we fly, Shall we dance, Shall we then say goodnight but mean goodbye, Or perchance, when the last little star leaves the sky, Shall we still be together with our arms around each other, And shall you be my new romance, On the clear understanding that this kind of thing can happen, Shall we dance, Shall we dance, Shall we dance._"

  
Grog was both focused on the dance but also on Tiberius' singing. Tiberius was not a bad singer, not by a long shot. His deep voice made him more of a baritone when the song is typically sung by a soprano so instead of trying to match that vocal range Tiberius sang in a way that made his baritone range fit the song. Grog wondered why Tiberius had never sung before this point. When it got to the lyric about being the singer's new romance it took all of Grog's willpower to prevent himself from blushing right then and there and he couldn't place why. It was just some silly lyrics for a song but when Tiberius sang them it seemed more true then any conversation the two previously had.  
Scanlan stopped strumming and said "I guess that could be considered romantic enough. If you need me to help, all you have to do is ask."

  
Tiberius and Grog looked at each other for a longer period of time then normal before realizing that the dance was over. Tiberius was thankful that Scanlan couldn't tell that he was blushing when he pulled away from Grog and said "We should be getting back to Grayskull Keep."

  
Grog said "Yeah, we should." Tiberius dispelled the bubble before the trio walked back to Grayskull Keep. The rest of the day went about as normal except Grog humming the melody without him realizing, leading to Percy commenting that Scanlan got another melody stuck in Grog's head.

  
That night Grog asked Tiberius "Why do you hide your singing voice? It sounds nice."

  
Tiberius had to prevent himself from choking on his tea after that question was asked. Tiberius said "You think my singing voice is nice?"

  
Grog said "Yeah. You honestly surprised me."

  
Tiberius was blushing so much that he was concerned that Grog would notice the blush. He studied Grog's expression trying to figure out if he noticed Tiberius' blush. Moments passed before Tiberius realized that Grog couldn't see his blush and he said "I have never heard a compliment regarding my singing from someone who wasn't my family."

  
Grog asked "Why is that the case?"

  
Tiberius said "Truth is, I've always been shy about singing. I never sang in front of people I couldn't trust or when the situation didn't call for it."

  
Grog said "Why didn't you sing in front of us before? I'm sure Scanlan would've liked a little help with Bardic Inspiration."

  
Tiberius said "I didn't think Scanlan needed help, he seemed fine singing solo."

  
Grog said "True."

  
Tiberius said "Thanks for the compliment." and hugged Grog. It took every bit of willpower for Grog not to blush right then and there. Tiberius left for his room as Grog wondered why he nearly blushed when Tiberius hugged him.

  
He thought to himself "It as just a platonic hug, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw the interest in the first chapter and decided to release the second one. You guys might be asking why Tiberius thinks his choice to kill the old woman got everyone else in trouble, mainly it was due to my head-canon about Tiberius feeling guilty over what had happened to the point he mistakenly believes that his choice to killed the old woman was what caused everyone else to be stripped of their titles.


	3. Cold Room, Warm Dragonborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the passage of time comes a change in emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I will be explaining why Tiberius is still in Grayskull Keep. I always had the head-canon that Tiberius is bisexual but tries to hide his bisexuality from everyone else since while being bisexual in Draconia isn't frowned upon per say but it is still embarrassing for a Draconian to admit they are bisexual.

It had been a week since the dare began and Grog was improving his dancing and Tiberius was improving when it came to hand to hand combat. It seemed pretty routine at that point. Tiberius woke up in the middle of the night to a slightly muffled Grog saying "There's a problem, I can't sleep."

  
Tiberius got dressed, opened the door and asked "What is the problem?"

  
Grog said "Follow me." and started walking towards his room. Tiberius quickly followed and noticed right away the problem. Grog's room was ice cold, icicles were on the ceiling and Tiberius had to stop himself from slipping on a patch of ice on the floor. Tiberius was glad that his fire breath increased his body heat, otherwise he would shivering.

  
Tiberius said "I see what the problem is. Normally, I'd suggest my room but I doubt my bed is big enough for the both of us and I don't think one of us sleeping on the floor is a good idea."

  
Grog talked through chattering teeth "So what is the plan?"

  
Tiberius said "Maybe we can talk with Pike and see if she has a spare bed you can use. Or maybe.." he was suddenly pulled into a hug by Grog. The warmth of Tiberius' body heat made Grog almost instantly fall asleep. Tiberius slowly moved to Grog's bed being careful not to wake him up. He placed Grog in his bed and tucked him in but the small separation from Tiberius' body heat made Grog wake up.

  
Grog said as his teeth began chattering "Why did you move me?"

  
Tiberius said "Sleeping standing up is kind of silly looking, besides, now you have two ways of avoiding the cold." after he said that, he climbed into Grog's bed and curled up right beside Grog. Grog didn't care about the awkwardness of sharing the same bed, he was just happy to not be cold anymore as he cuddled into Tiberius and fell asleep. Tiberius was thinking about what the others would say if they saw this but eventually he fell asleep in Grog's arms, not really caring if Scanlan made perverted comments the next day.

  
The next morning, everyone was ready at the breakfast table except for Grog and Tiberius. Percy went up to Tiberius' room to see if Tiberius was still asleep but found that Tiberius was not in his room. Pike went into Grog's room to see if Grog was still asleep and she saw Grog and Tiberius still fast asleep, seemingly unaware of the freezing cold temperature in the room. Pike smiled and closed the door, leaving the two to sleep. Percy found Pike and asked "Do you know where Tiberius is? He isn't in his room."

  
Pike said "Look in Grog's room. I do have to warn you though, it's freezing cold for some reason."

  
Percy went to his room and got a warm jacket to wear and went to Grog's room and opened the door. Even with the warm jacket on he still felt cold from the temperature in that room. He saw Grog and Tiberius sleeping soundly and shouted "How can you both be sleeping when it's freezing cold in here?"

  
The shout instantly woke the two of them up and they looked at Percy with annoyed expressions on their faces. Tiberius said sleepily "Dragonborn have a higher body heat then other humanoid beings." and laid his head back down, prepared to resume the sleep Percy had rudely interrupted. Grog curled up against Tiberius again and went back to sleep. Percy decided that they were still very sleepy and closed the door, he turned around and saw the others standing right behind him.

  
Keyleth asked "Did you really need to shout?"

  
Percy said "When I'm really confused my voice raises. Luckily, Tiberius explained how he and Grog were able to sleep."

  
Keyleth said "Wait, Tiberius is in there?"

  
Percy said "Yes."

  
Keyleth quickly opened the door to Grog's room and saw Grog and Tiberius still asleep. She resisted the urge to squee at the scene, since she had secretly started shipping them together after she had seen Grog help Tiberius make a sandwich because Tiberius was intoxicated at the time. Seeing Tiberius happy after such heartbreak thanks to Grog made Keyleth realize that Grog never really kept a grudge for too long with anyone he cared for while she had came into the room for the explicit purpose of chewing out Tiberius for something he had been chewed out multiple times for already that night. Keyleth figured that Grog being there for cheer him up and Pike returning were the sole reasons Tiberius choose to stay in Grayskull despite receiving a invitation to Draconia. Keyleth closed the door and said "Let's leave them, they need their long rest." the others followed Keyleth into the dining room to wait for Tiberius and Grog to wake up. After two hours, a fully rested Grog and Tiberius joined them at breakfast and sat in their respective seats.

  
Pike asked "Grog, why is your room freezing cold?"

  
Grog said "I don't know, but I was able to sleep thanks to Tiberius."

  
Scanlan was snickering but said "Tiberius, how did it feel to be Grog's cuddle buddy?"

  
Tiberius said "I'll answer that question if you answer why you are snickering."

  
Scanlan said "I'm snickering because you and Grog were cuddle buddies for an evening."

  
Keyleth couldn't resist commenting "Tiberius, I know Allura broke your heart in two but I thought it took more then one heartbreak to change someone's sexual orientation."

  
The table busted into laughter as Tiberius responded "Firstly, I was helping Grog sleep cause his room was freezing. Secondly, who can say that I wasn't bisexual from the start?"

  
Scanlan shouted "Finally, he admits it!"

  
Tiberius realized what he had walked into as the rest of the table except for Vax laughed harder. He had always tried to hide his bisexuality from Vox Machina and the only one of his family who knew about him being bi was his sister, Drakka, due to her catching him check out both a female dragonborn cleric and a male elf wizard at the same time. Now he just admitted to them that he was indeed bisexual, albeit in a roundabout way from normal. Tiberius ate the rest of his breakfast and then headed to his study since Grog decided to help Pike train that day. Vax decided to follow him and talk with him.Tiberius asked "Looking for any new books?"

  
Vax said "No, I just wanted to talk."

  
Tiberius said "About what?"

  
Vax sat beside him and said "About what happened at breakfast. I know you think they were insulting you for being bisexual but I can tell you that they are very accepting. They are just laughing because you admitted it in a funny way. Besides, if Scanlan's comment is anything to go by, at least he had suspected you were bisexual."

  
Tiberius said "I wonder where he got that suspicion from."

  
Vax said "He probably noticed you checking out some guy, like he found out I was bisexual."

  
Tiberius' eyes widened as he said "You're bisexual?"

  
Vax said "Yes. Scanlan caught me checking out Sawn Gillmore."

  
Tiberius said "Makes sense now that I think about it."

  
Vax then held out his hand in a fist-bump position and said "Bisexual buddies?" Tiberius at first looked at Vax like he had two heads but he completed the fist-bump and Vax had to fight the urge to do a happy dance. Vax never had a friend who was also bisexual so he personally thanked the gods for setting his path to meet Tiberius. Vax left Tiberius alone to his study and he saw Grog and Pike training outside. He noticed that he was focusing more on Grog then he was on his book but he didn't really mind. His hand held his head as he watched Grog train, his tail slowly swishing without his knowledge and content sighs escaped his mouth as his mind seemed intent on studying Grog's physical appearance down to the last detail.

  
A cough caught him off guard and he turned around to see Keyleth. Keyleth smirked as she asked "What are you watching outside?"

  
Tiberius said "Grog and Pike train. Honestly, their fighting tactics intrigue me."

  
Keyleth said in a teasing manner "I don't think it was their fighting tactics that intrigued you. I think it was a certain somebody's physical appearance that made you look away from your book."

  
Tiberius asked "Pike's?"

  
Keyleth remained in the teasing manner as she said "Don't play coy. We both know it was Grog who intrigued you."

  
Tiberius audibly gulped after Keyleth said that and Keyleth knew she right. Keyleth said "Besides, I did my homework on Dragonborns and their tails swish when they look at someone with romantic interest."

  
Tiberius hoped that Keyleth couldn't see his face turn even redder then it was. Tiberius said "How long were you standing there watching me?"

  
Keyleth said "Exactly thirty seven seconds."

  
Tiberius said "And why were you watching me for that long?"

  
Keyleth tried not to giggle and said "Personal reasons."

  
Tiberius said "What do you mean by that?"

  
Keyleth said "I'll just leave you to your 'study'. Bye"

  
Tiberius said "You didn't answer my..." but Keyleth had left and closed the door before he could finish that sentence.Tiberius groaned in annoyance. Keyleth had been acting cheeky since the dare with Grog began but this was the cheekiest she had been. He looked out the window to see Grog and Pike still training and almost instantly the annoyance faded as he sat back down and continued watching. Time didn't matter for Tiberius, he could've watched Grog train all day and be content.

  
Suddenly, an all too familiar voice spoke from behind him "Never expected you to fall for Grog that fast."

  
Tiberius jumped out of his seat and turned to face Scanlan in the doorway. Tiberius then said "I am going to install a bell on that door."

  
Scanlan said "Scared you out of your daydream about Grog, didn't I?"

  
Tiberius said in a defensive tone of voice "I wasn't daydreaming!"

  
Scanlan said "Oh really? Then why were you looking at Grog with what I could presume was a love-struck gaze?"

  
Tiberius said "Why do you think it was a love-struck gaze?"

  
Scanlan said "You were sighing contently, you held your head with your hand and last but not least your tail was swishing wildly."

  
Tiberius said "Guessing Keyleth told you about what a swishing tail signifies?"

  
Scanlan said "Yes."

  
Tiberius groaned and said "She is being cheeky and I don't know why."

  
Scanlan said "Probably because she thinks you and Grog would be a cute couple."

  
Tiberius said "What?"

  
Scanlan said "Took a peek in her journal and she has said a few things regarding you two going to train."

  
Suddenly, another voice joined the conversation "You what?!". Both of them saw Grog in the hallway looking at Scanlan with a glare.

  
Scanlan said "I didn't mean to peek but Keyleth had it on her desk, wide open and I saw two pages."

  
Grog asked "And what did you see on those pages?"

  
Scanlan said "Head into the study and I'll tell the both of you." Grog entered the study and closed the door. Tiberius used a spell to shield the conversation from being overheard.

  
Tiberius then asked "What did you see in Keyleth's journal?"

  
Scanlan pulled out a piece of paper and said "I have a copy of the journal pages I read." and handed the piece of paper to Tiberius.Tiberius read aloud the first journal page

  
_Journal Entry #31_   
_Today Tiberius continued his training with Grog in Hand to Hand combat. His skill has certainly improved since last time but Grog has also improved in...dancing? I need to figure out if Tiberius is teaching him and if so how romantic is it._   
_The two of them returned very sweaty which seemed to make sense except Grog seemed to be more sore and tired then usual and Tiberius seemed more ecstatic then normal which didn't make any sense unless the two of them were_

  
Tiberius couldn't continue reading. He felt his face grow redder with each passing second he looked at the next two following words

  
_making love._

  
Tiberius couldn't believe it. His princess was thinking that he and Grog were making love. Tiberius saw the look of confusion on Grog's face and just silently handed the copies back to Scanlan. A thousand thoughts raced through Tiberius' mind at that point, all of them centered on Grog and this dare he had been forced to undertake.

"Was this karma?" He thought. If this was karma for what he had done, why would it involve Grog? The thousand thoughts continued to race in Tiberius' mind and even Grog noticed that something wasn't right. Tiberius felt himself fall backwards and his sight began to fade to black. The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was Grog running to catch him. Tiberius felt his fall stop but didn't know if it was because he hit the ground or Grog caught him. It didn't matter either way as Tiberius fell into a dreamless slumber.


	4. Romantic Feelings Realized And Grayskull Keep Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All it takes is one spark to ignite a flame

Tiberius didn't know how long he was unconscious for but he felt the familiar sensation of his bed but also another strangely familiar sensation as his eyes began to open. He couldn't see what was happening but he heard Keyleth's voice. Keyleth sounded very angry as she said "How could you force Tiberius to read those copies? You know how easily embarrassed Tibsy gets."

  
Scanlan said "I didn't force him to read it."

  
Percy's voice said "Bullshit. You think Tiberius would read that type of stuff on his own terms?"

  
Scanlan said "I just handed them to him. I didn't expect he'd fall unconscious or that in trying to catch him Grog would be knocked unconscious."

  
Keyleth said "How did you find my journal anyway?"

  
Scanlan said "It was right on your desk, wide open."

  
Keyleth said "I usually have it in a drawer locked with a key. But that's an answer for later, right now let's leave these two to recover from what happened."

  
Tiberius heard footsteps fade as he finally figured out why he couldn't see anything, one of Grog's arms was on his snout. He managed to move the arm to his side and he saw that Grog was resting soundly with his arms holding Tiberius close to him. Tiberius felt his face heat up as he remembered what he read in Keyleth's journal. He had already slept in the same bed as Grog before but this felt a lot different from the last time. Tiberius felt his heart race as Grog's warm breath touched his scales and Grog brought Tiberius slightly closer to him til their faces were almost touching. Tiberius ran the choices he had in his head. He could either push Grog away, embrace him and resume his dreamless slumber or he could... No, it wouldn't be right to kiss Grog on the lips, not while he sleeping. Though he did need to thank Grog for catching him and he didn't know how else to thank him. Tiberius positioned himself to kiss Grog on the cheek and said "Thanks for catching me."

  
Grog didn't seem to notice the kiss or Tiberius' words but as Tiberius rested his head on Grog's shoulder and went back to sleep Grog opened his eyes and looked at Tiberius with a smile. Grog placed a hand on where Tiberius had kissed him and his face turned bright red. He looked at Tiberius with a confused look on his face but it quickly changed to a smile as he held Tiberius close to him and closed his eyes. The two rested contently in each other's embrace till a unexpected situation woke them up. Percy raced into the room and shouted "Get up the both of you. Emon's under attack!"

  
Tiberius and Grog both woke up at the same time. Tiberius said "From whom?"

  
Percy shouted "Dragons! Five of them!"

  
Grog helped Tiberius get up from the bed and the two raced downstairs after Tiberius grabbed Lockheed's cage. Keyleth was sitting at the table letting the others know of the battle plan. She saw Tiberius place Lockheed's cage on the table and said "I wanted to speak with you next. Tiberius, you'll handle the defense of Grayskull Keep in case the dragons attack."

  
Tiberius said "But Emon's in danger. I can at least help evacuate the citizens. After what I did, this could be my chance to make it up to Emon."

  
Keyleth said "Tiberius, I understand you want to show Emon you have learned from your mistake but now is not the best time. One of the guards might hurt you or worse and the last thing Emon needs is a war on two fronts."

  
Grog said "In that case, I'm staying to protect the keep as well."

  
Pike said "Grog, why?"

  
Grog said "What if those dragons are immune to magic? He might need my help."

  
Scanlan said "That's the official reason."

  
Keyleth said "Scanlan this is no time for jokes. Well it seems that out tactics are set. Grog and Tiberius will safeguard Grayskull Keep and the rest of you are with me. We have to get to Emon as soon as possible. Tiberius can you get us there?"

  
Tiberius said "Sure" and he went outside. Drawing the symbols needed for the gateway he said "By Bahamout's blessing, I choose Emon." The gateway opened and most of Vox Machina went through leaving Grog and Tiberius to watch as the gateway closed. The two walked back inside and prepared lunch.

  
Tiberius said "Once lunch is done we'll both have to be on lookout for a dragon."

  
Grog was digging into lunch and didn't answer but he agreed with Tiberius' plan. After lunch was over Tiberius and Grog placed Lockheed's cage in Tiberius' room then headed up to the roof and waited for any sign of a dragon headed their way. Tiberius had a magical crossbow that Percy made for him that was attuned to his magical energy. Time passed and there was still no dragon appeared, leaving the duo more tense then they were before. The tension ate at both of them as they scanned the skies for any signs of dragons and looked to see if the other was in danger. Grog finally had enough and shouted "Come and fight us you dragon cowards."

  
Tiberius said "Are you trying to get us both killed?"

  
Grog said "No, I'm sick of waiting. If a fight's going to happen then let it happen."

  
Tiberius said "If you go in there alone you are going to die."

  
Grog said "So what if I die?"

  
Tiberius shouted "I don't want to lose you, you battle happy doofus!"

  
This caused a silence to grow as Tiberius realized what him saying that could mean. Sure he didn't want to lose any members of Vox Machina, even Scanlan, but Grog and Keyleth were the two people Tiberius couldn't live with losing. Keyleth was his princess, someone he knew he was destined to protect no matter what. But Grog was different, someone who he trusted with his darkest secrets and wanted to stay by his side. He slowly realized that he cared for Grog more then as a good friend. The silence was broken by Grog's laughter as he said "You called me a doofus." Tiberius realized what he said was very silly and soon he joined in the laughter. The two laughed for what seemed like an hour before they had to stop laughing to breathe and get up from the floor. As the two looked at each other time seemed to slow or even stop as Tiberius walked towards Grog and hugged him.

  
Grog said "You don't need a hug to thank me for catching you. You already kissed me on the cheek and thanked me." Tiberius' heart instantly raced as he realized that Grog knew about that kiss on the cheek. Tiberius began to realize the full extant of his feelings for Grog and a possible future began to play in his mind.

  
The warmth of Grog's embrace was more than enough for Tiberius to say "Grog, there's something I need to tell you."

  
Grog said "What is it?"

  
Tiberius said "Grog, I.." A roar interrupted Tiberius as he and Grog saw a frost dragon fly towards the both of them. Tiberius and Grog prepared for battle.

  
Tiberius was able to grab his crossbow and managed to fire a single shot before the dragon grabbed the side of the keep. Grog swung his battle axe and only barely missed the dragon's claws. The battle raged as the duo kept hitting the dragon with everything they had. The dragon managed to grab hold of Grog's leg and toss him against a tree. Tiberius saw the one he almost confessed his feelings to laying either unconscious or lifeless against the tree. The dragon laughed as sparks of electric energy raced around Tiberius' body. Tiberius screamed in a combination of rage and grief "You Will Pay!"

  
Storm clouds began to center over Grayskull Keep as Tiberius was now engulfed by electric energy. He lifted his crossbow and aimed at the dragon's eye. He shot the arrow with all his rage as he said "Grog, I will avenge you!" The arrow perfectly hit the dragon's eye as the dragon let out a roar of pain and begin to fly away. Tiberius saw the dragon fly away and raced downstairs to where Grog was. He rested his head against Grog's chest and heard Grog's heartbeat. Tears of happiness raced down Tiberius' face, the one he loved was still alive and would probably at most have a nasty headache from hitting the tree. He decided to carry Grog back to his room but then he remembered Grog's room was freezing cold so he decided to stay beside Grog until he woke up. he wiped away the tears as he looked at Grog for any sign of him waking up. Grog eventually did wake up and saw Tiberius sitting right beside him and remembered that Tiberius was going to tell him something.

  
Grog asked "What were you about to tell me before that dragon interrupted you?"


	5. Confession and Courtship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are expressions and a friendship becomes much more.
> 
> Warning: This chapter will be somewhat lewd.

Time slowed to a crawl as Tiberius heard Grog ask the question. Tiberius thought about what he should say. Tiberius realized that he couldn't wait any longer, Grog could've died in that fight so it was either now or never. Tiberius said "Grog, I love you. As more then a friend."

Grog said "How long?"

Tiberius said "I don't know, maybe some time now since it only took Scanlan's dare to make me realize my feelings." Silence was the immediate response as the two looked at each other. Grog reached out and held Tiberius' hand. Grog very quickly pulled Tiberius into a soft, loving kiss before pulling away just to give him another kiss shortly afterwards. Tiberius was at first too shocked to do anything but closed his eyes and returned the kisses. The romantic tension between the two of them finally reaching a boiling point as the soft kisses turned into a make out session with the two of them having a tongue battle for dominance in each other's mouths.

The make out session ended since the two had to breathe as they looked into each other's eyes, a hunger for the other's love growing inside them. Grog said while panting "So, how long until the others get back?"

Tiberius said while also panting "Emon is a long ways away from Grayskull Keep so unless the court wizard knows a gateway spell I'd say about three hours, give for take five minutes."

Grog said "Good. Plenty of alone time." The make out session resumed as Grog removed Tiberius' robe and laid it beside the two of them. Tiberius moaned in pleasure as Grog kissed his neck softly. The two of them decided they needed more then just kisses. In Whitestone, Allura and Kima both heard two voices screaming very faint cries of pleasure coming all the way from Grayskull Keep and wondered who could be making such a noise at a time like that just after a mysterious storm hit the keep. The faint cries didn't reach Emon, which was a good thing for the ones making the noise. The faint cries were replaced with a shared scream of pleasure and Allura and Kima recognized both of the voices instantly, they shared a cheeky smile with each other but said nothing.

Grog and Tiberius looked at each other as they bathed in the afterglow of their love making. Tiberius laid his head against Grog's chest and said while panting "That was amazing. We should've done this long ago."

Grog said while also panting "We can make up for lost time. But we should probably bathe before our friends get back, unless we want to lose the dare Scanlan gave to us." Tiberius looked over both Grog and himself and Grog's words couldn't be truer then at that point. The duo headed into the Keep while carrying their clothing and had separate baths since they were still tired from earlier. Tiberius and Grog decided to share Tiberius' room and bed until they figured out why Grog's room was freezing. Grog and Tiberius laid beside each other and kissed before falling asleep in each other arms. The rest of Vox Machina returned soon afterwards and decided to let the two of them rest since they thought that the two were exhausted from a tough battle with a dragon, considering the small amount of damage the keep had. When Grog and Tiberius woke up it was pure dark outside and Lockheed had been given supper by Vex. The two decided to head downstairs to join the rest of Vox Machina eating supper. The two sat in their respective seats and resisted the urge to look at the other with loving glances. The rest of Vox Machina went to their rooms, leaving Grog and Tiberius alone to decide what to do. The two of them decided to return to Tiberius' room and cuddle. Tiberius casted a spell that prevented his bedroom door from being opened by anyone other then himself. The two cuddled silently, content in each other's embrace.

The next day, Tiberius and Grog joined the rest of Vox Machina at breakfast. Keyleth asked "So, how were things while we were gone?"

Tiberius said "Good. We fought a frost dragon and I managed to shoot it in the eye with my crossbow. Grog got hurt but I healed him and we slept till supper."

Percy said "That's amazing. I bet the dragon learned not to fuck with Vox Machina."

Grog said "It was amazing. After I got hurt, Tiberius generated a storm and used it to power up the arrow."

Pike said "Wow! I didn't even know that was possible."

Tiberius said "I didn't either. Guess I was so mad at that dragon for hurting Grog that I used a power I didn't even know I had."

Vax said "That must be the case."

After breakfast Tiberius and Grog went into the forest, telling the others that they would be training the rest of the day. Tiberius casted a soundproof bubble around the two of them so they would not be heard. Grog held Tiberius against a tree and said "Let's see where we go from here." the two of them started making out. Meanwhile, Scanlan decided to check on Grog and Tiberius and followed their footprints to the location. He saw Tiberius and Grog making out and slowly removing bits of clothing. Scanlan watched with slightly perverted curiosity as Grog and Tiberius had intercourse right then and there, their screams of pleasure blocked by the soundproof bubble. Tiberius and Grog were unaware of Scanlan watching them, they were so entranced by their love for each other that nothing could interrupt them. Primal cries told them all they needed to know, they would gladly live the rest of their lives in this bliss. Finally they screamed not as two voices but as one as their pleasure finally reached a breaking point. Tiberius was exhausted but satisfied as the soundproof bubble popped. Grog panted softly, holding Tiberius close to him as the two bathed in the soothing afterglow of their love.

Scanlan decided that now was a good time to talk as he said "I've heard of dragonborn living life in the fast lane due to their short lives but this is just silly." Tiberius and Grog looked at Scanlan with shocked expressions as they quickly got themselves proper.

Tiberius said "How long have you been watching us?"

Scanlan said "Since you two started making out."

Grog blushed as he said "You saw everything?"

Scanlan said "Everything."

Tiberius said "And you wonder why I call you a pervert."

Scanlan chuckled and said "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

Grog said "You dared us to keep it a secret in the first place."

Scanlan said "That I did. Good luck with your 'training' you two." and he headed to Grayskull as Tiberius and Grog looked at each other.

Tiberius said "We should've asked him when this dare ends."

Grog said "That can wait. Let's head back."

Tiberius said "Before we do that." he then casted perstigataion to clean up both himself and Grog. The two walked back to Grayskull, sneaking small glances to each other along the way. No matter how long the dare was, it didn't matter to either of them anymore, they would face this dare side by side.


	6. Love for Love's Sake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiberius decides to ask Grog if their romance is mostly sex and Grog has a very heartwarming answer.

Days passed since Tiberius confessed to Grog and they started their romantic relationship and Tiberius was concerned about the state of their relationship. Besides the occasional flirtation between him and Grog it was a mostly physical romantic relationship. He loved the feelings it brought and no doubt it made Grog happy but was that all in the relationship? He finally decided to ask and approached Grog while he was practicing with Pike.

Tiberius said "Grog, we need to talk." Grog followed Tiberius to Grog's room since they were able to find the source of the cold. Turns out Vax put a ice crystal in Grog's room as a prank and the crystal was under Grog's bed. Tiberius closed the door and used a spell to soundproof the room.

Grog said "So what do we need to talk about?"

Tiberius sighed and said "It's about us, as a couple. You and I have this physical relationship that is beyond amazing and I wouldn't trade it for the world. But is that all to our relationship? I'm worried our relationship will become stagnant which would hurt the both of us."

Grog said "Tibsy, There is more to our relationship then physical activity. Do you want to know something about me?"

Tiberius said "Yes, and before you ask I will not laugh."

Grog said "Before we began this romance I had trouble finding a emotionally romantic partner. Sure I loved making my partner scream with delight at my skills in bed but I always left feeling like something was missing. I didn't realize what it was until you confessed your attraction towards me. That was the moment I realized I needed not just someone to go to bed with, I needed someone to trust, to love and to spend hopefully the rest of my days with. And that someone is you my handsome Draconian prince."

Tiberius felt his heart race as he said "Grog, I wish I had heard that earlier."

Grog said "I should have told you earlier. Tell you what, we'll go a day with just flirtation and kisses if it will make you happy."

Tiberius said "That won't be needed."

Grog said "But I insist."

Tiberius said "Okay, I do know a great restaurant in Draconia we can both eat at."

Grog said "Great. But we'll need to tell the others where we are headed."

Tiberius said "Besides, I can pick up some mirrors on the way."

Grog jokingly said "Don't you have enough mirrors?"

Tiberius jokingly said "You are one to talk. I've seen you buying axes from the Blacksmith like they were pieces of candy." Grog and Tiberius couldn't resist laughing at that statement. After the laughter died down the two left Grog's room and teleported to Draconia while the rest of the party thought they were just getting supplies just in case. The two shopped, ate food and had fun just talking. The two finally returned to Grayskull keep and went to Tiberius' room, curling up beside each other and falling asleep content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Either tonight or tomorrow I'll write the final chapter and post it. Plus, we finally learned why Grog's room was cold.


	7. Ramifications of Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiberius and Grog's relationship changes a lot of things.

Grog and Tiberius stayed by each other's side through thick and thin even in the toughest fights. Grog resisted using Craven Edge not for his sake but for his love. Tiberius was able to warn his home about the Conclave and while Draconia was still destroyed, most of it's citizens were able to evacuate including his family. The Conclave quickly fell before the combined might of this battle couple, though no one knew they were a couple until sometime later.

No secret could be kept forever and Vox Machina found out about Grog and Tiberius' courtship. Ironically, the last one to find out was Keyleth, someone who the history books say had the most impact on the relationship itself. No one outside of Vox Machina knew about the romance until Grog and Tiberius decided to get married in the exact same spot Kima and Allure choose for their wedding. The two couples decided to have a double wedding which went smoothly.

With marriage often came children and the couple had a unique solution for the fact they were both males yet wanted children. Tiberius used his magic to combine his and Grog's DNA into a unborn child and have the child be carried to term by a rather insistent Pike. They had five children this way, each having shared traits from both of their fathers. Grog and Tiberius couldn't be prouder of their children and would not trade their family for anything. Their love even saved the life of their friend Vax.

Sadly, a dragonborn's life is shorter than normal and Tiberius found himself on his deathbed, surrounded by his husband, their children and grandchildren, and an adolescent Lockheed in human form. All of them stayed by his side until the Raven Queen escorted Tiberius to the afterlife. Draconia grieved the loss of their hero, Vox Machina grieved the loss of their friend but Grog took Tiberius' death the hardest, though he knew his love would want him to stay strong for their children. Grog would visit his husband's grave every day to water a sapling Keyleth planted beside the grave as a coping method. Occasionally, Tiberius would return to the mortal plane as a spirit that only Grog could see, though the rest of Vox Machina figured out that when Grog's wedding ring glowed it meant Tiberius was nearby.

He knew one day he would reunite with his husband and eventually he did. A battle Vox Machina fought in resulted in Grog taking a mortal wound to save Pike. He lied to the rest of Vox Machina and said it was fine but he knew it was going to be his time soon. He walked towards a small tree, a sapling of the tree that Tiberius confessed to Grog under. Grog sat down and said "It is irony, our lives together began when you confessed to me under a tree, now my life will end under that tree's son." He saw Tiberius walking towards him, as young as the day he and Grog became a couple. Grog looked at his wedding ring and leaned against the tree, letting his husband sing to him the song that jump-started their romance. 

Vox Machina later found Grog's body and buried him right beside Tiberius so that all of Tal'dorei could know of their story,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter is here. I hope those who have made it this far loved the story.

**Author's Note:**

> I already have chapters 2, 3 and 4 written out but I need to know if this is something you guys want to see consistent updates of, though I do plan on completing this story.


End file.
